


Time To Run

by SodaSeeFaster (SephtisThan)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood and Violence, Comfort/Angst, F/F, M/M, Minor Character Death, also the goatman is here, but it will probably take it's own course, i do not control the story, this is a do you copy? au, warning: keiron swears like a sailor except hes worse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25588132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SephtisThan/pseuds/SodaSeeFaster
Summary: Grace Wind Park is infamous. Over the past twenty years, hikers have been going missing left and right, and almost all of them remain unfound. It's often attributed to the park's winding trails and thick forests, there are also other rumours, ones that imply a supernatural presence. Of course, they're just rumours. Right?
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	Time To Run

**Author's Note:**

> anything recieved via radio is written in italics.
> 
> also this is a do you copy? au for my ocs

“ _Tower Four, this is Tower Two. Hourly radio check. Over._ ”

An empty soda can clatters to the wooden floor as Sabah sits up suddenly, startled by the sudden noise. It takes them a moment to stand up from their bed, half tossing their book to the side to instead lean over the desk. Damn, they’d forgotten about the hourly check-in. That’s what they get for being so absorbed in their book, they suppose.

“ _You there buddy? Come in Tower Four. Do you copy? Over._ ”

Sabah fumbles for a second, almost tripping over the can they knocked onto the ground, before hastily moving to press down the button on the microphone. “Tower Two, this is Tower Four. I copy. Over.” They reply, grimacing ever so slightly at the way their voice cracks.

The ranger on the other side doesn’t seem to notice, or at least he doesn’t care. Sabah hears him let out of a soft laugh, something akin to an entertained rumble before he responds. “ _Good to hear, Tower Four. I’m turning in for the night, the park’s all yours. Over._ ”

Sabah just nods, only somewhat aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to see them doing so and moves to step away from the desk. They pick up the can next to their feet before they trip over it a second time and move to drop it in the nearby paper bin with a less than elegant flourish before they turn to slip out through the door onto the balcony of the watchtower.

In the far distance they can see the faint light within Tower Two flick off for the night, and Sabah is left feeling… alone. The sun has long since set, and without any other light to be seen in the stretching forest beyond their little sanctuary, they realise just how solitary it is out here.

Not that they mind, of course. They have the hourly check-ins to keep them company, and they wouldn’t be out here if they didn’t enjoy the peace and quiet.

They had needed a break from the city, from the noise and stress of daily life. Taking a job to watch over empty stretches of forest hadn’t seemed like the worst decision at the time, and so far they hadn’t regretted it. Besides, it hadn’t been too hard. There certainly haven’t been any issues, and outside of keeping in contact with the two other towers within the park, they’d mostly been busying themself with reading and knitting.

Every evening they would be contacted by a supervisor and Sabah would give them a run down of the day's events, which usually boiled down to ‘yup, the forest sure is there’. The supervisor would make a soft noise, a hum that crackled through the radio and if Sabah didn’t know any better, they’d say it was a sound of disappointment. 

They couldn’t help but feel as though they were supposed to be seeing something out there. The thought makes them shiver, so they pull their jacket around themselves a little tighter.

Luckily for them, however, it was peaceful tonight. Quiet, apart from the wind and the occasional noise from the animals inhabiting the forest below.

“ _Hello?_ ”

Yeah, well, so much for that. Sabah glances over their shoulder at the radio. Odd. They weren’t expecting anyone else to call in that night. They push themselves off the railing slowly, ducking back through the door into the watchtower.

“ _Hello? Is anyone there?_ ”

Sabah hesitates for a moment, pausing next to the radio like a vaguely alarmed rabbit before pressing down on the button. “ _Copy. This is Fire Tower Four. Over._ ” They reply, voice slow and careful.

It’s almost entertaining how the voice of the person on the other side of the radio rises in pitch, tense and clearly trying not to panic. “ _Ah, thank fuck, I saw this channel listed on one of the trails out here I-I… I need your help._ ” The man’s voice almost cracks at the end of his sentence. “ _Something-_ ” There’s a moment where the radio static spikes, causing Sabah to flinch ever so slightly before the man continues. “ _I’m lost and something is chasing me. You HAVE to fucking help me, man._ ”

Sabah takes a deep breath, leaning against the desk ever so slightly. “Calm down. You’re going to have to stay calm, alright? Are you on a trail right now?”

“ _I- uh, fuck, no? Something started chasing me so I just ran and I- ah yes, found it._ ”

This was painful. “Alright, just keep heading down the path to the east. You should reach a trail that takes you towards the watchtower.”

“ _Which way’s uh- east?_ ”

Oh boy. Sabah closes their eyes for a moment, before slowly pushing down on the microphone button once more and doing their best to not hiss out their next sentence through their teeth. “I’ll turn on the floodlights for you. One moment.”

“ _Shit, thanks._ ” He sounds genuinely relieved at least, if a little out of breath. Sabah notes that he seems to have calmed slightly though there’s still a hint of nervousness there. They move away from the radio and turn back towards the door to their little refuge. 

Stepping back out onto the balcony of the tower they realise that it’s gotten colder, and with a grumble they half waddle over to the switch box. It takes them a second to wrangle the rusty door to the thing open before they push the stubborn lever into place. The floodlights flicker on with a heavy thunk, and there’s a beat of silence before they hear the radio within the tower burst to life again. 

“ _Oh shit! I see you. Okay, I’m on my way._ ” This time the relief in his voice isn’t hard to pick out at all, despite the crackling of the radio static. Sabah leaves the lights on for a moment longer before allowing the switch to click back into place. The forest goes dark once more.

They can only hope he remembers which way to go, as they certainly weren’t too keen on wasting all their power in one night just to keep one dumbass hiker from running around like a headless chicken. 

Sabah steps back inside, pulling the door closed behind them this time, just as the radio lights up yet again. “ _Man, I don’t even know what happened back there. I was just on a bit of a hike, a day or two to myself, y’know?_ ” They’re not close enough to the microphone to respond, so he keeps talking. “ _This is such bullshit I don’t even- I’m never going hiking again, I swear._ ”

Sabah can’t help but laugh a little at that and they move to settle into the chair next to the desk. “You get startled by a bear once and that’s it, huh?” They respond and they’re sure that he’d be bristling right now if they could see him, based on the way he splutters out a response.

“ _That was NOT- no way that was a bear, no fucking way._ ” He says, sharp and quick. “ _It had horns and like- oh fuck, hold on._ ” 

They’d be lying if they said it wasn’t a little concerning how quickly he cut himself off there. A minute of silence passes, and Sabah is just about to turn on the mic again when the hiker’s voice comes through the radio once more. 

“ _Alright, alright, okayokayokay, I think I lost it._ ” He does sound genuinely out of breath this time, keeping his voice low. “ _I think I’m almost there, too. Maybe._ ”

Sabah almost sighs in relief as they lean back in their (frankly rather uncomfortable) chair. They close their eyes for just a moment, pinching the bridge of their nose between their fingers before sitting up once more to respond to the man. “Do you know which trail you’re on?”

“ _Fucking-_ ” He sounds annoyed, but after another second he continues with an exasperated sigh. “ _Grace Wind Lake Pass?_ ”

Good, he was actually close, then. “Keep heading along there, turn right when you find a fork in the road. Tower’s at the end of that trail.” Sabah says, their voice a calm contrast to the hiker’s somewhat distressed tone. Honestly, they weren’t sure what they would do when he arrived. They were not particularly taken by the idea of spending the rest of their night with him in the same room. The radio crackles again, sharply this time and Sabah grimaces at the noise. 

“ _See you there._ ”

Sabah isn't quite sure why his tone makes them tense. Why such a simple, short sentence made their hairs stand on end and filled their stomach with cold dread. If you asked them they might say it was the sudden calmness with which he spoke, something that stood starkly apart from how he sounded before.

They simply stare at the radio for a moment. Wait for a follow up message. They don't receive one.

Instead, Sabah stands and moves across the small room to look out their window to the north. Waiting for the telltale hint of movement, perhaps even a flashlight, amongst the brush down below.

It takes them longer than they care to admit to realise that the park beneath them has gone unusually quiet. Even the wind had decided it would rather rest and for a moment it’s like the whole forest holds its breath. Waiting, just like Sabah.

The silence drags on.

Then, finally, there’s a knock on the door.


End file.
